Insert Name Here Fights Mike Rupp

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After watching Mike Rupp verbally put Flyers' enforcer Jodey Shelley in his place on the HBO 24/7 show's segment where the two got into a vocal altercation, I have to be believe someone sends a message back.

The insert name is up there because Jodey Shelley hasn't showed the ability to either do it himself this season or make it onto the ice.

This isn't so much as some sort of primitive strategy as it is a psychological ploy by the Flyers.

They can't let Rupp and the Rangers take liberty on running at the Flyers. Make no mistake the Rangers already feel as though they can and there is no reason to think they can't.

Especially after Shelley limped back to his bench like a kid who had his milk money stolen.

I would put Tom Sestito's name in there but apparently the Flyer brass saw fit to send him back down to the minors.

If Shelley or Sestito aren't in the lineup look for Scott Hartnell to settle the score.

Most might scoff at this notion because of Rupp's size but Hartnell has shown the fortitude to stick up to other big men like Buffalo's Paul Gaustad.

Although Hartnell didn't get the better end of that one with Gaustad he did make Gaustad work for it. To make you feel better I'll even link a video of Hartnell pummeling another New York goon- Sean Avery.

Rangers Win in a Shootout

Sad for Flyers fans but true. Hey listen, its not that bad. Look at it this way the only loser of the Winter Classic that didn't make it to the finals or win was last year's Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Flyers themselves lost in 2010 and look what happened.

I think this win will swell the heads of the Rangers giving them second half woes like the Flyers went through last year after the All-star break.

Furthemore I keep telling you guys, we don't want first place. No one should. Go back and look how the top teams in the conference have fared. Even the Penguins had to drop to fourth place to win a cup.

Going back to that year the Flyers lost the classic they finished in seventh place! Then they went on to fall two games short of a cup!

This year unlike that year they have a much better goal-tending tandem in Bobrovsky and Bryzgalov as opposed to Boucher and Leighton. Even if you hate Bryz you have to see he's better than those guys.

If any coach knows how to get it done with goalie controversy its Laviolette, look what he did in Carolina.

Seriously though I just think Lundqvist is the better shoot out goalie out of either Bryzgalov or Bobrovsky. In fact he's just better period.

The only way I think the Flyers can win this game other than the five keys I mentioned in my previous article is if whoever their goalie is that day steals the show.

It's possible but right now no matter how well the Flyers have played, the Rangers have played equally well. Therefore I think a Flyers' win hinges on the goalie.